Building global engagement in research Sources of funding for - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Building global engagement in research – Sources of funding for enabling international research collaborations Jane Nicholson, Head of International Policy, EPSRC Engineering Professors Conference 16 April 2013

Introduction • Why we need to consider collaborations ? • RCUK International Strategy and EPSRC approach • Sources of Support • EPSRC • Europe • Others • Summary

“There is no national science just as there is no national multiplication table” Anton Chekhov

UK research base remains productive and efficient, continuing to rank as second only in the world to the USA on leading scientific indicators International Comparative Performance of the UK research base 2011

The Scientific Landscape : Number of publication by Country in Health, Life , Engineering and Physical Sciences by year ( 1997 to 2011) USA

The Scientific Landscape : Citations 2006 - 2010 USA UK 2000 - 2004 Source: International Comparative Performance of the UK Research Base 2011 – BIS/Elsevier

RCUK International Strategy Increase RCUK influence in international strategy and policy development - Influence Promote and facilitate excellent research collaboration - Excellence Enhance the value and impact of research through international collaboration - Impact Show RCUK commitment to key global responsibilities - Responsibility

Promoting Research Excellence RCUK aims to make it simpler for UK researchers to collaborate with their preferred research partners around the world by: Encouraging and facilitating partnerships Simplifying collaborative processes Opening up access to facilities and data In doing so we promote the UK as a place to undertake research and encourage researchers to spend time overseas .

Nature of International collaborations  Researcher to Researcher/ University to University encouraged world wide  Between funders - mostly bilateral (thematic) topics identified and scoped with partners, looking to build ‘best with best’  Through multilateral facilities and programmes  Excellence is key, regardless of where/how we are working

Within framework of RCUK strategy, EPSRC’s approach to supporting International Collaboration  EPSRC’s target is that every EPSRC sponsored researcher ( from PhD on wards) should be able to collaborate with an overseas researcher(s) where this adds value to the research or training EPSRC is sponsoring with them. Collaboration should look to partner “best with best”.  Currently ~ 23% of our grant portfolio names one or more international collaborators.

Approaches to supporting collaboration Two approaches to enabling international collaboration:  Researcher identified possible through all EPSRC grant and fellowship schemes  EPSRC led through a small number of proactive calls run jointly with overseas funding agencies

Researcher Identified  Support for UK participation in a international collaboration can be requested in any grant proposal or fellowship application to EPSRC  Grant applications to EPSRC need to have principal /co investigators who are employed by UK University and resident in UK  Overseas research collaborators can be named on collaborator section of application form – but costs to cover e.g. salary of overseas collaborator are not eligible from EPSRC

Research identified cont……. Activities for which support can be requested include :  travel for UK to partner labs,  extended visits of UK based research staff to overseas group,  hosting costs for overseas visitors in UK,  consumables cost incurred by UK researchers while working in overseas lab ,  cost of transporting equipment used in joint experiments  cost of access to facilities – (if not free at point of access or already UK sponsored)  cost of extended visits as part of a fellowship  use of DTG funds to support EPSRC funded students in visits to overseas labs

EPSRC Proactive Collaboration Building • Focused on building partnerships with China, India, USA, Japan and Europe • Main approach used is through calls for proposals managed jointly with partner agency - where possible aim for one stage peer review Recent Examples • G8 call in Sustainable Materials for Manufacturing • Smart grids and electric vehicles with China in 2012/13 • Manufacturing research with India Upcoming Water Engineering with NSF – supplementary funding available for • UK and US teams – call on EPSRC web Grid level storage for intermittency – workshop with China in April • 2013 – call anticipated after that

European Commission Funding - What is Horizon 2020? Commission proposal published on 30 November 2011 for an € 80 billion research and innovation funding programme (2014-20) The follow on programme to FP7 Forms part of the proposals for the next EU budget, complementing proposals for Structural Funds, education (Erasmus for All), etc. EC Horizon 2020 website: http://ec.europa.eu/research/horizon2020/index_en.cfm?pg=home EC Horizon 2020 proposal: http://ec.europa.eu/research/horizon2020/index_en.cfm?pg=h2020-documents

What’s new? • A single programme bringing together three separate programmes/initiatives • Framework Programme 7 (FP7) • Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) • European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) • Coupling research to innovation – from research to retail, all forms of innovation • Focus on societal challenges facing EU society, e.g., health, clean energy and transport • Simplified access, for all companies, universities, institutes in all EU countries and beyond

Estimated Horizon 2020 Timetable February 2011 Communication on Common Strategic Framework for Research and Innovation Feb - April 2011 Stakeholder consultation 30 November 2011 Adoption of Commission Proposal for Horizon 2020 2012 - 2013 Legislative Procedure (‘co - decision’): European Parliament positions Q3 2013 Conciliation and adoption of Horizon 2020 Dec 1 January 2014 D Start of Horizon 2020

Key Components of Horizon 2020 Proposal Excellent Science Base • European Research Council (ERC) • Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) • Marie Curie Actions • Research Infrastructures Industrial Leadership and Competitive Frameworks • Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies:  ICT; Nanotechnologies; Advanced Materials; Biotechnology; Advanced Manufacturing and Processing; and Space • Access to risk finance • Innovation in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Tackling Societal Challenges • Health, demographics changes and well being • Food security, sustainable agriculture marine and maritime research and the bio-economy • Secure, clean and efficient energy • Smart, green and integrated transport • Climate action and resource efficiency including raw materials • Inclusive, innovative and secure societies

Horizon 2020 – three priorities € 27,818m Excellent Science Sept € 20,280m Industrial Leadership June € 35,888m Societal Challenges NB: All budget figures are given throughout in ‘current 2011 prices’ as on p85 of the draft Horizon 2020 proposal.

Priority 1: Excellent Science - rationale • World class science is the foundation of tomorrow’s technologies, jobs and wellbeing • Europe needs to develop, attract and retain research talent • Researchers need access to the best infrastructures

Priority 1: Excellent Science Total Budget for Programme (2014-20, 27,818 € m) European Research Council : ‘Frontier research by the best individual 15,008 teams’ Sept Future and Emerging Technologies: ‘Collaborative research to open new fields of 3,505 innovation’ June Marie Curie actions: ‘Opportunities for training and career 6,503 development’ Research infrastructures (inc. e-infrastructures): 2,802 ‘Ensuring access to world - class facilities’ Dec

Excellent Science – ERC Continuity with FP7. Will continue to: • operate autonomously led by a Scientific Council • operate on a ‘bottom - up’ basis • have ‘research excellence’ as sole criterion • fund ‘individual teams’ • provide funding for starting researchers to make transition to independence • support new ways of working with potential to create breakthrough results New for Horizon 2020: • Reinforced budget (77% increase) • Scope for continuation of 4 current schemes and flexibility to ‘develop the mix of support measures to respond to emerging needs’ • Improved governance

Excellent Science – FET • Expanded from ICT and Energy to be used as cross-cutting instrument • Supports frontier research: alternative ideas, concepts or paradigms of risky or non-conventional nature • Supported under three strands: • FET Open: fostering novel ideas • FET Pro-Active: nurturing emerging themes and communities • FET Flagships: tackling grand interdisciplinary science and technology challenges

Priority 2: Industrial Leadership- rationale • Strategic investments in key technologies (e.g. advanced manufacturing, micro-electronics) underpin innovation across existing and emerging sectors • Europe needs to attract more private investment in research and innovation • Europe needs more innovative SMEs to create growth and jobs